Basketball goal with backboard above and separately supported from the goal hoop



aaaxosLMAN ETAL 3,462,143

WITH BACKBOARD ABOVE AND SEPARATELY y GOAL Hoor A 1966 Aug. 19,1969

BASKETBALL GOAL SUPPORTED FROM T HE Filed May 5,

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fn 5MG m wm e www Euv V ma Ja ce M Maurer Geor Mf//afa States Patent3,462,143 BASKETBALL GOAL WITH BACKBOARD ABOVE AND SEPARATELY SUPPORTEDFROM THE GOAL HOOP Bruce B. Bidelman, Max L. Maurer, and Jack Lawler,

Marshall, and George R. Millard, Tekonsha, Mich., assignors to Ronan &Kunzl, Inc., Marshall, Mich.

Filed May 5, 1966, Ser. No. 547,871 Int. Cl. A63b 63/00, 67/ 00 U.S. Cl.273-1.5 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF 'TI-IE DISCLOSURE The backboard frame hassupporting brackets at its corners adapted to be connected to mountingor supporting arms. The lower brackets have a tubular bar connectedthereto and extending in spaced parallel relation behind the lowerportion of the board. A mounting plate is rigidly connected to thecenter of the bar, andan angled Ibasket supporting bracket has anupstanding arm rigidly secured to the mounted plate, and a forwardlyextending arm located in unconnected relation to the bottom of thebackboard frame and projecting forwardly from the frame into supportingconnection to the goal hoop.

This invention relates to improvements in basketball goal with backboardabove and separately supported from the goal hoop.

The principal objects of the invention are:

First, to provide a basketball goal including a backboard and goal hoopin which the lower edge of the backboard is raised to approximately thelevel of the goal hoop to reduce the chance of injury to players jumpingbelow the hoop and backboard by coming into contact with the backboard.

Second, to provide a basketball goal in which the goal hoop isseparately supported from the backboard so that torsional strains orloads applied to the loop as by the ball or players coming in contactwith the hoop are not transmitted through the hoop supportingconnections to the backboard so that there is no likelihood of damage tothe backboard, especially if the board is made of transparent materials.

Third, to provide a basketball goal in which the lower edge of thebackboard and the supporting connections thereto may be raised, in part,above the level of the goal hoop in order to lessen the danger ofplayers being injured by jumping into contact with the backboard and itssupports.

Fourth, to provide a basketball goal including the foregoing safetyfeatures which retains the necessary functions and parts of providing asupport for the goal hoop and a rebounding backboard panel at thedesired dis tance behind the hoop.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from aconsideration of the following description and claims. The drawings, ofwhich there is one sheet, illustrate a highly practical form of theinvention.

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the basketballbackboard and hoop goal of the invention with supporting connections toa part of the building (not shown) in which the goal is mounted.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken along theplane of the line 2 2 in FIGURE 1 and looking in the direction of thearrows.

4FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view taken alongthe plane of the line 3--3 in FIGURE 2 and looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

In the sport of basketball, players have become capable, due to practiceor extreme height, of reaching to 3,462,143 Patented Aug. 19, 1969 thestandard or recognized level of the goal hoop and thereabove. Inactively contested games there is danger of players being injured byjumping into contact with the lower edges of the backboard and itsmounting structure. In addition the popularity this sport has producedincreased demands for spectator seating which has required that somespectators be seated behind the goals. This in turn has lead to theadoption in some cases of transparent backboards behind the goal hoopsso that the spectators may observe the play through the backboard. Thesebackboards are made of heavy glass which is relatively strong but stillsubject to breakage if the mounting connections for the goal hoop applylocalized strains to the glass backboard. The present inventionovercomes both of these disadvantages by raising the lower edge of thebackboard and its glass material and supporting framework higher abovethe playing door and by supporting the goal hoop in front of thebackboard independently of any direct connection to the backboardwhether the backboard be made of glass or other materials.

A-s shown in FIGURE 1 the basketball goal comprises a backboardgenerally indicated at 1 and a goal hoop generally indicated at 2. Thegoal is supported with the standardized hoop 2 at a standardized levelabove the playing oor by means of suitable supports and brace bars 3which extend upwardly and rearwardly to portions of the building inwhich the goal is mounted. The supports 3 are connected to the frame 4of the backboard as will be described presently. The connection of thesupports to the building structure is relatively immaterial and variesin different gymnasiums and so is not illustrated.

As appears more clearly in FIGURES 2 and 3 the back panel 5 which iscommonly made of glass is supported by the frame 4 which consists of topand bottom and side members of channel shape cross section, convenientlymade as aluminum extrusions with an outer base 6, a relatively narrowfront ange 7, and a wider middle flange 8 which coacts with the flange 7to form a channel receiving the edges of the panel 5. A layer ofcushioning material such as rubber may be interposed between thesurfaces of the glass and the metallic channel as indicated at 9.

The horizontal and upright pieces of the frame are connected orreinforced at the corners by mounting or support brackets indicatedgenerally at 10. The brackets 10 have outwardly or rearwardly facingflanges 11 which engage the rearwardly projecting portions of the base 6of the top and bottom members and are secured thereto as by bolts 12..The brackets have transverse front anges 13 which engage the back ofthe intermediate flange 8 of the frame members and have rearwardlyprojecting somewhat enlarged flanges 14 which are connected to thesupport members 3 in any suitable fashion such as by the bolts 15. Theforward portions of the anges 14 are connected to the rearwardlyprojecting portions of the side frame members as by the bolts 16 so thatthe frame members are connected to each other and in turn rigidlyconnected to the supporting members.

Positioned behind and above the lower portion of the backboard is atorsion bar 17 which has mounting plates 18 secured to its ends as bywelding at 19. The bar is of such a length that the plates 13 fitbetween the rearwardly turned flanges 14 of the lower mounting bracketsand are secured thereto as by the bolts 20. Intermediate of its ends andin the middle of the backboard panel 5 the torsion bar 17 is providedwith a connecting plate 21 which is rigidly connected to the bar as bywelding at 22. The connecting plate 21 is arranged vertically andgenerally parallel to the backboard panel 5 when the bar 17 is connectedto the brackets, but this is not necessary.

The goal hoop 2 consists of a circular hoop 23 of standardized size andstrength which is supported by an arm indicated generally at 24projecting rearwardly a standardized distance to the plane of thebackboard panel 5 and in the present structure behind the back of thebackboard frame to a generally vertically upwardly extending portion 25having a second connecting plate 26 on its forward edge. The connectingplate 26 is secured to the back side of the first connecting plate 21 bymeans of bolts 27. More specifically the arm 24 and its upwardlyextending portion 25 consist of upright angles 2S secured to the backside of the second connecting plate. A forwardly projecting top plate 29secured to the bottom of the second connecting plate forms the topsurface of the arm 24. Vertically disposed side plates 30 are securedalong the side edges of the plate 29 to form a generally channel shapedsection of the arm for rigidity. The arrn passes underneath the bottomof the frame of the backboard and is closely adjacent thereto to provideas much clearance as possible below Iall portions of the goal. The topplate 29 of the arm 24 is secured by welding as at 31 to the rear edgeof the hoop 23 and the side plates 30 are curved transversely outwardlyas at 32 to follow around the rear sides of the hoop to place the hooprelative to the arm. The upper edges ofthe forwardly extending portions32 are secured to the hoop by welding as at 33.

With the foregoing structure the only projection below the level of thehoop 23 of the goal is the width of the reinforcing side plates 30 ofthe hoop supporting arm 24. Maximum clearance is thus provided below thehoop. The hoop is supported independently of the backboard panel 5 byreason of its connection to the torsion bar 17 and should a player pulldownwardly on the hoop the load is applied through the torsion bar tothe lower corner brackets and the lower support members 3 withoutapplying any load to the backboard panel. Likewise, the shock ofbasketball striking the hoop is transmitted to the frame withoutaffecting the backboard.

In order to accomplish the third object of the invenvention, the lowercross member 34 of the frame has a horizontal central portion 35,located behind the hoop and over the hoop supporting arm. The sideportions 36 of the lower cross member are angled upwardly so that thelower comers of the frame and the connections to the lower supportingmembers are further raised. The lower edge of the backboard panel iscorrespondingly shaped, and the lower brackets 14 have downwardly andinwardly inclined flanges 37 to fit the incline of the frame.

The inclined side portions 36 may start upwardly at any point betweenthe sides of the hoop supporting arm and the side uprights of the frameto leave different rebound areas adjacent to the hoop as desired.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A basketball backboard and hoop having a panel supported by meansconnected to the panel and adapted to be connected to a support,

said backboard and hoop comprising a bar having each end connected toand supported with the bottom corners of said panel and locatel with itsmid-portion between said ends in spaced unconnected relation behind saidpanel,

and a hoop supporting arm rigidly connected at its rear end to thecenter of said bar and extending forwardly of said panel in separateunconnected relation below the transverse center of the panel,

said hoop being secured to the forward end of said arm in forwardlyspaced relation to said panel.

2. A backboard and hoop as defined in claim 1 in which said supportingarm has a generally upright rear portion located behind the midsectionof the lower edge of said panel and connected to said bar` 3. Abackboard and hoop as defined in claim 2 in which there is a firstconnecting plate rigidly secured to the mid-portion of said bar,

and a second connecting plate forming part of the rear of said arm andreleasably secured in lapped relation to the first of said connectingplates.

4. A backboard and hoop as defined in claim 1 in which the ends of saidbar are connected to said panel by means of end plates secured to thebar.

and brackets secured to said end plates and to said panel.

5. A backboard and hoop as defined in claim 1 in which said panel has ahorizontal central portion on its lower edge with upwardly inclinedportions extending from said horizontal center portion to the bottoms ofthe side edges of said panel. v

6. A backboard and hoop as defined in claim 5 in which said panel istransparent,

a metallic frame surrounding said panel and having upright side membersand a lower cross member conformed to the shape of the lower edge ofsaid panel,

and means connecting the ends of said bar to the lower corners of saidframe.

7. A backboard and hoop as defined in claim 1 in which said panel istransparent,

and further comprises a metallic frame surrounding said panel, the endsof said bar being connected thereto.

8. A basketball goal comprising a backboard panel having a lower edgewith a straight horizontal central portion,

upwardly inclined portions of said lower edge extending from the ends ofsaid central portion to side edges of said panel,

means secured to the lower corners of said panel at the upper ends ofsaid inclined portions and adapted to be connected to supports,

a hoop supporting arm, having forward and rear ends,

extending forwardly of said panel below said central portion,

and a goal hoop secured to the froward end of said arm in forwardlyspaced relation to said central portion,

said means connected to the corners of said panel having a bar connectedthereto and extending therebetween behind said panel in unconnectedrelation t0 the panel,

said arm being connected at its rear end to the midsection of said bar.

9. A goal as defined in claim 8 in which said arm eX- tends from saidbar below said central portion and forwardly to said hoop.

10. A goal as defined in claim 8 in which there iS a section ofconnecting structure between said arm and the corners of said panelwhich is relatively more angularly yieldable about the axis of said barthan the remainder of the connecting structure.

11. A goal as defined in claim 10 in which said section of relativelyangular yieldability lies in relative torsional twistability of saidbar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,363,634 11/1944 Albach et al.273-1.5 3,017,183 1/1962 Chalcroft 273-15 3,018,102 1/1962 Murphy 273-153,341,197 9/1967 Bottoff 273-15 OTHER REFERENCES Modern PlasticsEncyclopedia, 1949, p. 107, Acrylic Backboard.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner PAUL E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner

